Gloves already off as Premier blasts LNP 'failures'

Amy Remeikis

It only took a moment for the Queensland Parliament to return to normal, with the government shedding the conciliatory nature that marked the past two days of ceremony in favour of a laundry list of the previous government's sins.

After previously promising a "better and friendlier" parliament, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk launched into the confidence motion for her government, standard procedure in a hung parliament, by labelling Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg as "struggling for relevance" in the days after the election.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has panned the LNP for its past "sins''. Photo: Robert Shakespeare

"What's worse, and more embarrassing, is the equally simple fact that the party opposite now has no plans, no policies, and no ideas for governing Queensland," she said.

"The Opposition comes here today with its policy cupboard totally bare. It can offer nothing by way of an alternative plan for governing our state.

"Once it disowned its previously immovable commitment to asset sales, it was left with no feathers to fly."

Ms Palaszczuk said the state had "missed" a "government that listens, a government that wants to work with Queenslanders and a government that will talk up our state, not denigrate it at every opportunity just to play cheap politics" for the past three years.

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"What was missing for the past three years was confidence," she said. "You do not instil confidence in state and regional economies by cutting the jobs of up to 24,000 people.

"You do not instil confidence in business and others who create new jobs by constantly ringing false alarm bells about the state of Queensland's finances and its economy.

"You cannot create confidence if you spend three years playing the blame game and arguing with anyone who disagrees with you. "My government will deliver confidence in our state."

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad picked up the mantle in her speech, telling the Parliament that the LNP had wanted to sell everything other than the Parliament, the politicians and the police force, and Queensland had rejected their plan.

"The only jobs the LNP created was for mates like Michael Caltabiano," she said.

But Mr Springborg, after congratulating Ms Palaszczuk for her win and saying she deserved respect, reminded the Parliament that Labor did not win the primary vote, adding that meant it did not have a mandate.

He said more than 1 million people had voted for the LNP and deserved to be listened to.

"We accept the fact that because of our electoral system, which is optional preferential, they were able to achieve 44 seats in this Parliament," he said.

"That does not mean that this government has an unfettered right to claim an absolute mandate of the people of Queensland. Indeed, their mandate is unclear.

"Indeed, their mandate, because of their lack of plan, is at best confused."

Mr Springborg then rained down a litany of criticism of the Beattie and Bligh Labor governments and their "disastrous" management of the health system. With each member allocated 20 minutes to have their say, the debate is expected to go into the night, but with Speaker and independent MP Peter Wellington having declared his support for Labor, it is a moot point.

But while the gloves have officially come off, many MPs wore an expression of glee, seemingly having missed the fight.